President Yoon Suk Yeol said the unification pursued by South Korea is based on humanity's universal value of liberty, and that the freedom of each and every North Korean must be expanded through unification.

Unification minister Kim Yung-ho on Friday delivered these remarks, which were reportedly made by the president during the unification ministry's policy briefing the previous day.

On Thursday, the ministry briefed Yoon on plans to put forth a new unification vision reflecting the current administration’s philosophy of liberal democracy, saying it is the optimal period to seek a unified nation after North Korea designated the South as a "hostile state."

Emphasizing that unification is a matter of universal human values, Yoon said the international community must cooperate for unification to be achieved. The president urged the ministry to work to improve the quality of life and human rights of the North Korean people, who have a constitutional right to citizenship in the South.

He also asked that the ministry provide protection and support for North Korean defectors.